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2 Sep Budgy [Bob Dodelson ] 2 Sep Re: Bird ID help [Deb Cusick ] 1 Sep Bird ID help [Deb Cusick ] 2 Sep Soras at DeKorte [Erica Mueller ] 1 Sep Re: OT: Banded Sanderling [John Beetham ] 1 Sep OT: Banded Sanderling [Peter Burke ] 1 Sep Fwd: Digest for cobirds@googlegroups.com - 11 Messages in 11 Topics [Tony Leukering ] 1 Sep Re: Hurricane and bird spotting ["Jennifer W. Hanson" ] 1 Sep Re: Hurricane and bird spotting [Blake Mathys ] 1 Sep Juv/formative Myrtles [Tony Leukering ] 1 Sep Re: Hurricane and bird spotting [Vince Elia ] 1 Sep Re: Hurricane and bird spotting [Laurie Larson ] 1 Sep Hurricane and bird spotting [Sandra ] 1 Sep Hudson Co - Caspian Tern & Sora at Mill Creek Point - 8/31/10 [Edna & Ray Duffy ] 31 Aug More Brig [Simon Lane ] 31 Aug Continuing at EB Forsythe NWR [Mary Harper ] 31 Aug RI Pelagic Trip spots still available! [Mardi Dickinson ] 31 Aug Re: Warbler ID Question [Phil Jeffrey ] 31 Aug Warbler ID Question [Harvey Tomlinson ] 31 Aug Sandpiper ID help [Netanel Paley ] 31 Aug NP dredge spoils - again - light [Sandra Keller ] 31 Aug Watchung Reservation, Union County, Nj [Dan Morley ] 31 Aug Photo Study Of Black Skimmers At E.B. Forsythe (Brigantine/Atlantic County), Aug 30th, 2010 ["Howard B. Eskin" ] 30 Aug Informal DVOC summer meeting this Thursday, September 2 ["F.Arthur McMorris" ] 30 Aug Buff-Breasted Sandpipers Continue at Brig [tony croasdale ] 30 Aug HSR: Raccoon Ridge (28 Aug 2010) 34 Raptors ["Hawkcount.Org Reports" ] 30 Aug NP Dredge Spoils - migration getting better [Sandra Keller ] 29 Aug Salem County birding - Moorhens, egrets [Sandra Keller ] 29 Aug 6 Golden Plovers on Skinner Lane in Orange County, NY - extralimital [Beverly Robertson ] 29 Aug Passaic/Wayne: Baird's Sandpiper at Walker Ave [Jim Schlickenrieder ] 29 Aug Marbled Godwit -- Heislerville [Jim Schill ] 29 Aug Glenhurst Meadows(Warren Green Acres) [Michael Hiotis ] 28 Aug Island Beach State Park 8-26 Birding-by-Kayak trip results [Skyler Streich ] 28 Aug from my window [Theodore Chase ] 28 Aug Photo Study Of Birds At E.B.Forsythe NWR (Brigantine) And Bombay Hook NWR, August 26-27th, 2010 ["Howard B. Eskin" ] 28 Aug Salem CO NJ [Doug Filler ] 29 Aug Brig. 8/28 + Nighthawks [Rob Fanning ] 28 Aug Brig on Saturday: [Pete Bacinski ] 28 Aug Common Nighthawks - Somerset, NJ [Dan Murray ] 28 Aug Sandy Hook Saturday [Scott Barnes ] 28 Aug Migrants etc. [David Patick ] 28 Aug Birds, Butterflies, Dragonflies and others at Silver Ridge 8-28-10 [Shawn Wainwright ] 28 Aug NP - migration again - better [Sandra Keller ] 28 Aug Royal Terns at South Amboy ["OSTRAND, THOMAS J (THOMAS J)" ] 28 Aug Injured GHO at AMico-Please help [Sharon Liebs ] 28 Aug Long-tailed Jaeger [Michael Fritz ] 27 Aug Spruce Run Glossy Ibis [Paul Shanahan ] 27 Aug HSR: Raccoon Ridge (26 Aug 2010) 55 Raptors ["Hawkcount.Org Reports" ] 27 Aug Bald Eagle ? ["Allyson O'Connor" ] 27 Aug CF 8/27--P-Finch + YB Fly [Rob Fanning ] 27 Aug South Jersey [Joe Delesantro ] 27 Aug Today in Branchville ["Cailin O' Connor Fitzpatrick" ] 27 Aug Upper Passaic County Migrants 8/27 [Dan Poalillo ] 27 Aug Re: Brigantine [Robert Claussen ] 27 Aug Brigantine [Harvey Tomlinson ] 27 Aug Clay-colored Sparrow: Liberty State Park [Claus Holzapfel ] 27 Aug NP spoils - migration - light [Sandra Keller ] 27 Aug Scherman-Hoffman 8/26/10 ["bejoba AT optonline.net" ] 26 Aug Re: Wildlife and nature photo contest [Phil Jeffrey ] 26 Aug Wildlife and nature photo contest [Jill Weislo ] 26 Aug Black-Throated Blue Warbler at Higbee Beach, Cape May County [Eric Hughes ] 26 Aug Pine Warblers - flocking [Sandra Keller ] 26 Aug seeking Saltmarsh Sharptail Sp in S NJ? [Gerald Kruth ] 26 Aug seeking Connecticut Warbler in S NJ [Gerald Kruth ] 26 Aug Re: BCNH [Sharon Petzinger ] 26 Aug Warren Green Acres (Glenhurst Meadows) [Harvey Tomlinson ] 26 Aug National Park - good migrants [Sandra Keller ] 26 Aug BCNH [Joan and Bob ] 25 Aug Meadowlands Avocet Continues at DeKorte [Jim Wright ] 25 Aug Vesper Sparrow @ Island Beach State Park [Skyler Streich ] 24 Aug Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Avocets continue at Brig, etc. [Christopher Vogel ] 25 Aug Bergen Co - DeKorte Avocet continues, GW Teal and Shovelers arrive - 8/24/10 [Edna & Ray Duffy ] 24 Aug FYI:Purple Martins Swarm South Jersey ["Joe P." ] 24 Aug Migration today at National Park [Sandra Keller ] 23 Aug Re: OT:David A. La Puma's migration radar [David La Puma ] 23 Aug Stone Harbor Point area - shorebirds [Sandra Keller ] Subject: Budgy From: Bob Dodelson <dodelson AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 08:21:46 -0500 On Sharon Road a few minutes ago (a couple of hundered yards from route 539 near Hightstown) there was a Budgy perched on a white fence enclosing a small farm amidst a couple of dozen European Starlings. 2 transplants from exotic lands but alas the prettier one is not countable Bob Dodelson How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Re: Bird ID help From: Deb Cusick <dcusick AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 07:54:53 -0400 Thanks to everyone who sent me some bird ID help. I did see lots of juvenile Laughing Gulls on my trip too, but I had never seen one such a dark chocolate brown as that one so the color confused me. Thanks for confirming the Yellow-crowed night heron. It's not often enough that I get such a clear photo to work from! Still a puzzlement about the little birds I saw flitting and flying across the surface of the water - but they went so fast and flapped the wings so rapidly it was near impossible to get get my binoculars on them, let along my camera. Ah well, that's my birding life, lots of "wow, what was that?" Wishing you all luck with possible 'hurricane birds'. I'm currently not in NJ but in coastal NC and keeping a close eye on 'Earl'. I'm keeping an eye on the birds here too out at Fort Macon, but nothing interesting to report. About 90% laughing gulls, both adult and juvenile, though none of them the dark brown color of the one I saw on the ferry. Debbie Cusick -- My Art Journey: http://www.dcusickart.com Art Gallery: http://picasaweb.google.com/DcusickArt How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Bird ID help From: Deb Cusick <dcusick AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 22:07:08 -0400 Hi, I mostly lurk here, being an inexperienced birder. I'm impressed with all your reports - as I bumble around by myself and have trouble IDing many birds. I was in Cape May on Monday to catch the Cape May ferry to Delaware, and had a while to spare before the ferry so tried to watch the birds. And I must have seen 500 birds! But was able to positively ID about 12 of them. My reports contain lot of things like "Gull sp. - 50" or "duck sp. 12". Mostly, when I'm lucky, I try to get photos of birds and then spend time studying them afterwards, but it's not always possible! But I do have a few questions about the birds I saw that day. Two of them were birds actually seen from the ferry itself while crossing to Delaware. One was a very small bird - I saw a couple of them - white underbelly and dark gray above - skimming rapidly over the surface of the water, very close to the water itself. From studying my Sibley's the one likely seems to be an Audobon's Shearwater. Does this seem possible? The other two I got photos of. One is not so great a photo but since the birds were constantly in flight I was happy to catch one at all. The bird was largish - maybe like a herring or ring-billed gull size. But in color it was primarily dark chocolate brown, darkening to a more sooty black color around the head and breast. Unfortunately the only photo I got if it was sort of from behind: http://picasaweb.google.com/scall0way/Birds02#5512128040604694210 and you see more pale color there than I actually noticed while looking at the bird. But to look at it looked very dark all over, unlike all the juvie gulls hanging around. The other bird I saw further along on the journey and was lucky to get a great shot! It was clearly a juvenile heron. I narrowed it down to either a black-crowned night heron or a yellow-crowned, and finally decided on yellow because of the length of the neck and the legs, but wanted a second opinion since either would be a life bird for me, and I'm just going by my Sibley's and what I've googled. http://picasaweb.google.com/scall0way/Birds02#5512128047025174546 Thanks very much for any assistance! Debbie Cusick -- My Art Journey: http://www.dcusickart.com Art Gallery: http://picasaweb.google.com/DcusickArt How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Soras at DeKorte From: Erica Mueller <blueocean92082 AT OPTONLINE.NET> Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 01:29:48 +0000 Two SORAS were seen on the Marsh Discovery trail at DeKorte this evening not far from the entrance near the security gate. Erica Mueller Lincoln Park How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Re: OT: Banded Sanderling From: John Beetham <john.beetham AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 21:09:47 -0400 Banded birds should be reported to the Bird Banding Laboratory: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/ You can either call them or use their online form. John Beetham Highland Park, NJ On Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 9:00 PM, Peter Burke wrote: > Hi Jerseybirders, > Last week I crossed the bay to Delaware and photographed this Sanderling > with a single silver band. > http://www.flickr.com/photos/pgburke/4949894676/ > > I've seen posts about what to do as far as reporting bamded bird sightings, > but I did not save the information... If anyone has info I would appreciate > the advice. > > Happy Birding, > Peter Burke > Peapack, NJ > > How to report NJ bird sightings: > How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: OT: Banded Sanderling From: Peter Burke <peterburke AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 21:00:14 -0400 Hi Jerseybirders, Last week I crossed the bay to Delaware and photographed this Sanderling with a single silver band. http://www.flickr.com/photos/pgburke/4949894676/ I've seen posts about what to do as far as reporting bamded bird sightings, but I did not save the information... If anyone has info I would appreciate the advice. Happy Birding, Peter Burke Peapack, NJ How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Fwd: Digest for cobirds@googlegroups.com - 11 Messages in 11 Topics From: Tony Leukering <greatgrayowl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 18:00:43 -0400 Hi all: A post from the Colorado listserve that is eminently germane to NJ. The poster, David Leatherman, is an entomologist retired from the Colorado State Forestry Service (or some such entity) and an avid birder (one of the best in CO). Tony Leukering Villas, NJ Topic: current animal activity in hackberry trees "Dave Leatherman" Aug 30 05:30PM -0600 ^ Bill Kaempfer mentioned checking hackberries on his recent CFO/Boulder Bird Club field trip to NE Colorado. As you may know, hackberry insects and birds/squirrel activity related to them is one of my mini-hobbies (i.e., some people are easily amused). In the last issue of Colorado Birds we talked about hackberry gall-making psyllids, of which there are at least 4 types in Colorado. The two most common ones in planted Northern Hackberry are the nipplegall and the blistergall. The nipplegalls present themselves are big bumps on the undersides of leaves, very evident at this time of year. The blistergalls are either dark green or purplish-black blotches on the leaves. Sometimes both types of galls appear on the same leaf. Today on one of my regular visits to Grandview Cemetery, I noticed both Fox Squirrel and Black-capped Chickadee activity involving predation on developing psyllid nymphs within galls. The activities of both predators results in premature leaf drop of hackberry leaves under hackberry trees. When I looked at these leaves, there were two things going on. The tops of the nipplegalls were either bitten off or there were little peck holes in the blisters. Squirrels were doing the former, chickadees the latter. In the past I have also seen a variation on the theme by chickadees that involves their pulling a leaf from its branch, placing it atop a fairly big branch and standing on the leaf with each foot on opposite outside edges, and then wailing thru the heart of blisters with their beak. If you were to pick up such a leaf and hold it up to the light, you'd see holes precisely thru the middle of the blisters. If you think the holes form the pattern of the Big Dipper, I know you have a medical marijuana license. Other species I've seen remove psyllids from within galls include House Finches and Evening Grosbeaks. The REAL action involving migrant birds and hackberry comes when the nymphs developing within the galls reach adulthood and emerge to find overwintering sites in bark crevices on the host hackberry or any nearby tree. If the weather is right, this emergence can be compressed into a 1-2 week period and the trees are swarming with mini-morsals. Usually this occurs between mid-September and mid-October and benefits mid-to-late autumn migrating passerines. Connecticut and Golden-winged Warblers probably don't know what Colorado hackberry psyllids taste like, but Blackburnian, Yellow-throated, and Black-throated Greens and Blues do (along with kinglets, creepers, nuthatches, and many others). I would appreciate hearing about any observations related to hackberry psyllids and bird (or squirrel) predation. Thanks. Dave Leatherman How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Re: Hurricane and bird spotting From: "Jennifer W. Hanson" <ammodramus88 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 17:54:51 -0400 Hi Jersey birders, Just to add a bit to Laurie's and Vince's comments about historical hurricane birds, Island Beach got several records of Sooty Tern during Donna in 1960. Although Floyd tracked east of Delaware Bay, it dropped a Sooty as far inland as Artificial Island, Salem Co., in 1999. As for fallouts of other birds, I found a good assembly of shorebirds in a farm field puddle in Cranbury the day after Ernesto passed in 2006: Short-billed Dowitcher, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Wilson's Snipe, Solitary Sandpiper. I think the fallouts of migrants can be as interesting as the rarities; in any case, Short-billed Dowitcher is not exactly a common bird in Cranbury. For a final OT note, those of you who are interested in bugs might want to keep your eyes open as well. I found a Banded Sphinx moth at Plainsboro Preserve the day after Hanna passed through the area in 2008. Banded Sphinx is a southern species that can wander north, but I strongly suspect that the one I found had something to do with Hanna. Oh, and let's be careful out there, as Laurie said. Best regards and good birding, Jennifer W. Hanson Plainsboro, New Jersey USA ammodramus88 AT gmail.com http://njbirdinghistory.blogspot.com/ How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Re: Hurricane and bird spotting From: Blake Mathys <blakemathys AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 16:41:29 -0400 While I realize that these may not be perfect conditions, I think the recent seabirds seen from places farther north (e.g., Massachusetts pelagic: Band-rumped and (20+) White-faced Storm-Petrels, Great Skua; Maine: White-chinned Petrel, both skuas) means we should at least make an effort here. If there is some interest, perhaps we could coordinate and have people stationed at various locations along the New Jersey shore. If you are planning on looking for storm-related birds, please send me an email so I can get some idea of the area that you'll be covering. If you would like to take part but aren't sure where to go, let me know and maybe I can identify some good locations that won't be covered by others. My main interest is in seabirds, but as Laurie points out we definitely shouldn't forget to consider other migrants that may be affected. I would like to compile a short report on the birds found due to this storm, so please pass along any sightings that you feel may be relevant. Thank you, Blake Mathys, Ph.D. ---------------------------- http://blakemathys.com/ ---------------------------- How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Juv/formative Myrtles From: Tony Leukering <greatgrayowl AT AOL.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 14:43:30 -0400 Harvey et al.: Your bird is certainly a young Myrtle Warbler -- the date at that location is certainly odd. You are only partially right about the rumps of such birds. While juv Myrtles lack yellow rumps, those that have initiated their pre-formative molts do not -- it is one of the first patch of feathers replaced in that molt, and it occurs fairly shortly after becoming independent. When I was working on Kirtland's Warblers in central MI, I caught a number of juv Myrtles, some of which were in full juv and others having started down the road to replacing some of it with formative plumage. Your bird has obviously initiated its pre-formative molt, as it has yellow on the upper sides, among many other indicators. Enjoy, Tony Leukering Villas, NJ How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Re: Hurricane and bird spotting From: Vince Elia <Vince.elia AT NJAUDUBON.ORG> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 13:06:39 -0400 To add to what Laurie posted, the only storms in recent memory that passed to our east and brought "hurricane birds" were Donna in 1960 and Floyd in 1999, Donna appears to have been the furthest east of the "bird producers". Floyd was very close, only 15-20 miles east of the coast. A classic storm that passed along the same track as Earle that didn't produce much of anything was Gloria in 1985. Still, even if the storm passes east of us, but is close enough for us to feel true storm effects (winds & rain), it'll be worth having a look if you're nearby. How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Re: Hurricane and bird spotting From: Laurie Larson <llarson2 AT MAC.COM> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 12:39:28 -0400 Sandra, It will be interesting to see, but it isn't clear that a storm well offshore like Earl will bring us much in the way of rare birds. In recent years, the storms that have brought NJ the most rarities have been those in which the eye or center of the storm went to the west of the Delaware Bay, pushing birds up the bay as the storm moves by (remember the storm spirals in a counter-clockwise direction). After the storm passes Cape May, you want to be at the Concrete Ship, watching the birds fly back south out of Delaware Bay. Right now, Earl's track is not forecast to come that far west. Another place with historic southern tern records is Island Beach State Park but I am not certain of the weather conditions for that (anyone have the historic notes handy?). In any case, Brigantine is pretty far inland to get seabirds, although migrants could stop in there. But you don't need to go to the shore. Inland sites may also produce interesting records in autumn storms, either storm-driven seabirds or migrants forced down, so rivers, reservoirs, lakes, sod farms, etc. are well worth checking. I hate to be a party pooper, but my late husband was a volunteer EMS technician.... so I have to add this disclaimer. As with all potentially dangerous conditions, the main concern is to stay safe yourself, and not do anything that would endanger others (e.g. cause emergency personnel to take risks to rescue you). If a state of emergency or evacuation is declared, or if common sense tells you it isn't safe, stay off the road. Laurie Larson Princeton On Sep 1, 2010, at 12:05 PM, Sandra wrote: > > Anyone have thoughts on the birds the hurricane might send to NJ? I know people are thinking about this. Would Brig be a good spot to look for rarities before or right after the storm? > > Sandra McNicol > Kingwood Township How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Hurricane and bird spotting From: Sandra <oakgrove AT sprintmail.com> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 12:05:22 -0400 Hi Jerseybirders: Anyone have thoughts on the birds the hurricane might send to NJ? I know people are thinking about this. Would Brig be a good spot to look for rarities before or right after the storm? Sandra McNicol Kingwood Township How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Hudson Co - Caspian Tern & Sora at Mill Creek Point - 8/31/10 From: Edna & Ray Duffy <marshwren AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 04:08:50 +0000 I visited Mill Creek Point this evening around 6:30pm.  I had a Caspian Tern patrolling the river, I'm pretty sure it was just one solo bird but I would peroidically see one going up and down the river.  I also found a Sora in the High School Marsh from the boardwalk near the High School side of the boardwalk. - Ray Duffy Secaucus, NJ How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: More Brig From: Simon Lane <simon_c_lane AT HOTMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:33:20 -0400 All Early this evening at Brigantine...... Three Avocets in the SW Pool, amongst a large collection of Waders, Gulls, Terns, Ducks and shorebirds including Whimbrel and LB Dowitchers. Three+ Baird's Sandpipers, four American Golden Plovers, and three+ Buff-breasted Sandpipers on the grass flats that used to be the NW pool. Very nice. Simon Lane Chatham NJ How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Continuing at EB Forsythe NWR From: Mary Harper <galeharrier AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:11:47 -0400 Hi, Buff-breasted sandpipers (2) and an American Golden Plover (thanks to Fred Weber for helping me get the golden and the first buffy) continue at Forsythe. Also present were white-rumped sandpipers, royal terns, caspian terns, gull-billed terns, long-billed dowitchers, western willets, one whimbrel, one solitary sandpiper and lots of black-bellied plovers, short-billed dows, lesser yellowlegs, semipalm sandpipers and 3 ruddy turnstones. The male and female blue grosbeaks were also present. In other words, a great day at Brig. Mary Haper Margate How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: RI Pelagic Trip spots still available! From: Mardi Dickinson <mardi1 AT OPTONLINE.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:17:32 -0400 Dear birders et all, I just heard that the RI Pelagic trip still has available room. If you are interested contact Carlos Pedro asap, Here is the info below. Cheers, Mardi Dickinson Norwalk, CT mardi1 AT optonline.net I am passing this along from Carlos Pedro If you are interested in participating please e-mail me at dcpedro AT cox.net as soon as possible. The trip has been re- scheduled to depart on Thursday, September 9th at 9 PM and return at 9 PM on September 10th. We will depart from the Galilee Dock in Narragansett aboard the 'Lady Frances'. This boat is the newest and fastest boat of the Frances Fleet. There are bunks onboard for 45 passengers but this trip will be limited to 38.The idea would be to sleep on the way and wake up at dawn on the shelf edge 90 miles out , bird until 3 PM and return to port. There is a full Galley and food and drink can be bought or you can bring your own. The cost of the trip if we can get 38 birders will be $135. This trip could present a great opportunity to possibly see some of the rarer visitors to RI waters such as Audobon's Shearwater, Bridled and Arctic Tern, South Polar Skua, Jaegers, White-faced and Leech's Storm-petrels and possibly a first RI record Band-rumped Storm-petrel. Band-rumps have been regularly seen over the past few years on Mass. trips to the canyons south of Nantucket. The Brookline Bird club trip to the Canyons just east of Block Canyon had a tremendous trip this past weekend (20+ White-faced Storm-Petrels, Great Skua, Band-rumped Storm-Petrel and Long-tailed Jaeger) and we're hoping to get some good birds. Carlos Pedro dcpedro AT cox.net How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Re: Warbler ID Question From: Phil Jeffrey <phil.jeffrey AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:57:47 -0400 Not a hybrid. The undertail spots on this Yellow-rumped show as pale yellow, which suggest to me that either the camera or the post processing pushed the white balance too far into the yellow to compensate for the blueness of the shadows. Subtract that color cast off and I don't really see it as any more atypical than: http://www.pbase.com/photofair/image/66556405 where the photo appears to have a more neutral color aspect. The color saturation in the photo strikes me as being a little amped up too, perhaps contributing to the effect. Was this shot as a JPG or RAW? BNA suggests that prebasic molt occurs "Prebasic I molt partial; involves head, body, and usually all greater and median wing-coverts (rarely 1–3 outer coverts retained); occurs Jul–Sep, beginning when tail is 25–50% grown" So I wonder if in fact the yellow rump reflects this. On the Black-throated Green the coloration below the black bib and also into the black bib strikes me as very reminiscent of the color that is seen on the twig at the left of the image. EXIF data suggests that this was taken not long after dawn, so I would suggest that the additional color is an artifact of the lighting coming from the very warm light at sunrise. Phil Jeffrey Ewing/Princeton How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Warbler ID Question From: Harvey Tomlinson <ShearH2Os AT AOL.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:15:40 EDT Hi Jersey Birders, Yes, another ID question. I'm sure some of you are saying: "Hey Harve...you might want to buy a field guide or two !" Maybe that's the trouble. I have too many. Last Friday (8/27/10) I photographed a Yellow-rumped Warbler along Jen's Trail at Brig. There were some field marks that I questioned when I saw the bird and maybe even more so now after looking at the photos. A juvenile YRWA should be heavily streaked, but w/ little or no color. It should also not have a yellow rump as of yet. If you look at the pics on Flicker this bird is heavily streaked and yellow all over including the throat. It also had a very yellow rump patch (not pictured) Actually, when I first spotted it I thought it was a odd Cape May. It's definitely an odd YRWA. Hybrid maybe, or is there a plumage not shown in the many guides? Thanks for any thoughts. I also posted what I think is just a very yellow Black-throated Green. One shot, and a poor one at that. _http://www.flickr.com/photos/shearh2o/_ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shearh2o/) Good Birding Harvey Tomlinson Basking Ridge How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Sandpiper ID help From: Netanel Paley <netanel48 AT OPTONLINE.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:17:30 -0400 Hi, I saw this sandpiper today on the Hackensack River in Teaneck. Here is the link to the photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37227459 AT N08/4945883674/ I had thought it was a peep, possibly a Least, but someone on Flickr suggested it looked like a Baird's Sandpiper. ID confirmation would be appreciated. Please respond off-list. Thank you in advance. Netanel Paley Teaneck, NJ How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: NP dredge spoils - again - light From: Sandra Keller <sandrakeller AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:20:37 -0500 Hello, Tues. morning. 1 1/2 hours birding. 8-31-10. Would have stayed longer, but slow. Very. Not too much at the National Park dredge spoils in Gloucester County, NJ this morning. I thought at first not many birds because of this 9 straight days of NW winds. Or whatever we are up to! But after reading David's blog, maybe it's because of that overall direction of migration he writes about. Anyway, here are the numbers: 1 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO 1 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD 2 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS - my first up here this NW wind event. I don't know why so rare here in late August. 1 NORTHERN PARULA 1 CAPE MAY WARBLER 2 BLACK and WHITE WARBLERS - both females. 3 AMERICAN REDSTARTS 2 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS 1 WILSON'S WARBLER 15 BOBOLINKS - overhead. Heading north again. I didn't walk to the cove. Not many GOLDFINCHES around. Surprising. I had more in a friend's garden that I hit next! I think I hit here at the dredge spoils more than I usually hit all fall in a normal year. Phew. And I might not hit again soon. I want to explore Wheelabrator and Floodgates to see again how they are in fall migration. Butterfly notes - tapering off some. Unless a slow day for some of them also! Good birding all. Sandra Keller Barrington, NJ sandrakeller AT verizon.net How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Watchung Reservation, Union County, Nj From: Dan Morley <morleydan AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:08:48 -0400 I had the following birds at Watchung Reservation this morning: Nashville Warbler Wilson's Warbler Warbling Vireo Wood Thrush White-breasted Nuthatch Green Heron Northern Flicker Eastern Phoebe. Dan Morley How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Photo Study Of Black Skimmers At E.B. Forsythe (Brigantine/Atlantic County), Aug 30th, 2010 From: "Howard B. Eskin" <hbeskin AT VOICENET.COM> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:37:27 -0400 Ed Norman and I were at Brigantine yesterday and the Black Skimmers put on quite a show. To see the Photo Study, please click on the following link: http://www.howardsview.com/BSkimmers/BSkimmer.html Howard B. Eskin Harleysville (Montgomery County), PA How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Informal DVOC summer meeting this Thursday, September 2 From: "F.Arthur McMorris" <mcmorris AT MAC.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:20:36 -0400 The next meeting of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC) is this Thursday, September 2, 2010, at 7:30 PM at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge (Tinicum), Philadelphia, PA. Details at www.dvoc.org . Everyone is invited to attend. Visitors are always welcome. Our summer meetings are informal, with short presentations. The programs for this Thursday are: Global Warming: the Impact on Birds – Phil Witmer Bird-Safe Glass Demonstration Project at Heinz – Gary Stolz Identification of Wigeon – Frank Windfelder Art McMorris Bala-Cynwyd, Montgomery County, PA Vice President, DVOC How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Buff-Breasted Sandpipers Continue at Brig From: tony croasdale <tony.croasdale AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:48:07 -0400 Made a fairly quick and distracted run through at Brig this morning. Quick because of a late start and wanting to eat pumpkin pancakes at the cafe on Route 9 and Great Creek Road, and distracted because Josh was teaching me to drive stick. We did see two buff-breasted sandpipers on the algae flats on the last leg of the dike. Other nice birds were Caspian Tern, white-rumped sandpiper, bobolinks, and a meadowlark. I'm sure there were many more good birds and that algae flat is sure to turn up more neat stuff. The buffies were close to the road and more were probably farther back, but those pumpkin pancakes were calling, and they did not disappoint! Observe pássaros todos os dias! -- Tony Croasdale South Philly How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: HSR: Raccoon Ridge (28 Aug 2010) 34 Raptors From: "Hawkcount.Org Reports" <reports AT HAWKCOUNT.ORG> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:08:05 -0400 Raccoon Ridge Blairstown, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 28, 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 0 0 Osprey 5 11 11 Bald Eagle 3 31 31 Northern Harrier 0 4 4 Sharp-shinned Hawk 7 23 23 Cooper's Hawk 2 2 2 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 1 1 Broad-winged Hawk 16 25 25 Red-tailed Hawk 0 5 5 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 0 7 7 Merlin 0 3 3 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 1 2 2 Total: 34 114 114 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 17:45:00 Total observation time: 8.75 hours Official Counter: Brian Hardiman Observers: Brian Butler, Jim Thomson, Patrick Fellion, Scott Wood Visitors: Additional observers: Larry Bailey, Denise Asbjorn. Hikers - 19. Joe and Vicky from Denville, NJ. A.T. SOBO "The Pharmacy"...enough said. The Boys from Brooklyn. Weather: clear skies, wind NW 0-7 changing late to SE 0-3, temp 68-82 deg F. Raptor Observations: BE - im at 11:39, 11:45, 2:05. Bird of the Day - im Broad-wing stooping on owl decoy. Non-raptor Observations: Hummingbirds - 6. Red-br. Nuthatch - 3. Scarlet Tanager - 1. Tennessee Warbler - 2. Blk-thr Green Warbler - 3. Field Sparrow - 1. Cedar Waxwings. Barn & Tree Swallows. Chimney Swifts. TVs & BVs (including 1 im. TV with white collar, also seen last Saturday, Aug. 21). Monarchs - 12. Black Swallowtails - 3. Milk Snake - 1 beautifully marked juvenile (good find, Larry). ======================================================================== Report submitted by Brian Hardiman (hardiman AT nac.net) How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: NP Dredge Spoils - migration getting better From: Sandra Keller <sandrakeller AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:02:36 -0500 Hello, 2 hours in my local Gloucester County birding hotspot yielded a good morning, but still "off". It has to be this 8 straight days of NW winds or whatever we are up to! Monday morning - 8-30-10. Sunny - 75 degrees or so. Very light NW winds. Birds were scattered around - no big feeding flock. But at least every tree had something. I just had to work at it. 1 YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER 1 WILLOW FLYCATCHER - it called 1 empi sp. - a very poor look. 3 HOUSE WRENS 3 WARBLING VIREOS - all singing 1 RED-EYED VIREO 1 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER 1 MAGNOLIA WARBLER 1 BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER - a female. 1 BLACK and WHITE WARBLER 9 AMERICAN REDSTARTS 1 MOURNING WARBLER 4 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS 2 CANADA WARBLERS - an adult and a first-year bird 20 BOBOLINKS - with some actually flying south for a change! GOLDFINCHES 2 GREEN HERONS - flew south together over the Delaware River. 5 CASPIAN TERNS - hunting in the cove. Numbers up again. CHIMNEY SWIFTS - flying south. I presume they are migrating also. Butterfly notes - Monarch and Red-spotted Purple numbers are on the increase. Nature notes - Cicadias are flying around here also. Neat to see them when they land! Big. Good bird food. Good birding all. Sandra Keller Barrington, NJ sandrakeller AT verizon.net How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Salem County birding - Moorhens, egrets From: Sandra Keller <sandrakeller AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:34:57 -0500 Hello, Sunday afternoon - sun - 90 degrees or so. Light SW winds. Chris Herz and myself birded and enjoyed the butterflies for the afternoon down here. Highlights in brief: CATTLE EGRETS - scattered around the Featherbed Lane area and Compromise Rd. Starting to head south to roost on Pea Patch Island though. This was around 5:30PM or so. COMMON MOORHENS - family groups are showing nicely at Mannington Marsh. For example - 2 groups on the east side of the Rt. 45 bridge area. DeLea Sod - a lowlight - we were trying for the Baird's that was there Sat. Of course, the birds move around! We just had LEAST and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, plus the usual KILLDEERS, etc. 100's of SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS on dirt fields elsewhere. 2 KESTRELS - Featherbed Lane. Hunting. Always a treat. TREE SWALLOW numbers are way down. They must be all off roosting in Cape May! Good birding all. Sandra Keller Barrington, NJ sandrakeller AT verizon.net How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: 6 Golden Plovers on Skinner Lane in Orange County, NY - extralimital From: Beverly Robertson <bearfont AT WARWICK.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:22:03 -0400 Diane Brown and I had them in an onion field on the right hand side of the road just after the first barn when the road becomes dirt at 11:30 am. They were panting in the heat. We saw them flying around before they landed. Seems early for them. We had no Upland Sandpipers. Beverly Robertson Upper Greenwood Lake, NJ How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Passaic/Wayne: Baird's Sandpiper at Walker Ave From: Jim Schlickenrieder <jschlickenrieder AT ALLIANCE.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:39:54 -0400 Hi Birders, I found this bird on Friday evening Aug. 27, and it continues as of mid-day today. The bird is typically found north of the parking lot, or east in the grassier areas. A few Little Blue Herons also continue. Good Luck if you go, Jim Schlickenrieder Butler, NJ jerseybirder.blogspot.com How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Marbled Godwit -- Heislerville From: Jim Schill <sschliv AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:18:32 -0400 A Marbled Godwit is currently hanging out near the impoundments at Heislerville. It is at the mudflats on the right side of the dirt road if you are traveling to the impoundments from East Point Rd. A Peregrine Falcon has also been buzzing all the shorebirds there including the Godwit. Jim Schill Hainesport, NJ Sschliv AT Verizon.net How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Glenhurst Meadows(Warren Green Acres) From: Michael Hiotis <mhiotis1 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 06:42:27 -0700 I stopped by the garden parking lot just west of the entrance to Glenhurst this AM.I was looking for Bobolinks but was pleasantly surprised by an adult Red-headed Woodpecker that sallied for bugs from a dead tree out about 100 yds.It seemed to be quite successful but was interupted by a pair of Am. Kestrels that did not like it's style.The bird flew right closer to the river. Mike Hiotis Martinsville NJ How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Island Beach State Park 8-26 Birding-by-Kayak trip results From: Skyler Streich <streich28 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:26:53 -0400 Birds Seen on 8-26 Birding-by-Kayak Trip · Brown Pelicans · Double-crested Cormorants · Great Blue Herons · Great Egrets · Snowy Egrets · Little Blue Heron · Tricolored Herons · Green Heron · Black-crowned Night Herons (5) · Brant (1) · Mallards · Ospreys · Cooper’s Hawk · Black-bellied Plover · Lesser Yellowlegs · SOLITARY SANDPIPER (1) (only seen by myself and 1 other participant) · Semipalmated Sandpipers · Least Sandpipers · Short-billed Dowitcher · Laughing Gulls · Herring Gulls · Great Black-backed Gulls · CASPIAN TERN (1) · Royal Terns · Common Terns · Forster’s Terns · Mourning Dove · Belted Kingfishers (~4) · Willow Flycatcher · Eastern Kingbirds · Fish Crows · Tree Swallows · Yellow Warblers · Common Yellowthroat · Seaside Sparrow · Red-winged Blackbirds · Boat-tailed Grackle Good Birding! Skyler Streich Barnegat Bay Birder-in-Resident How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: from my window From: Theodore Chase <chase_c AT AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:22:52 -0400 Reading today's posts make it clear I should have been out birding this morning, but from my home office window I did see four Red-eyed Vireos (a family? When did you ever see four Red-eyed Vireos together on adjacent branches?) and an Am. Redstart. I went on the Birding by Kayak trip at Island Beach Thursday. I'm waiting for Skyler to post the official list - nothing remarkable but quite comprehensive, especially on herons, and a beautiful day and nice trip. Ted Chase Princeton How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Photo Study Of Birds At E.B.Forsythe NWR (Brigantine) And Bombay Hook NWR, August 26-27th, 2010 From: "Howard B. Eskin" <hbeskin AT VOICENET.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:21:05 -0400 We were able to get to Brig on Thursday afternoon and Bombay Hook on Friday morning this week. There were not as many birds as last week in either Refuge because the high pressure system gave the migrants a chance to move on. In any event, the bright sunshine made for some neat photo ops. To see the Photo Study, please click on the following link: http://www.howardsview.com/BrigBombay/BrigBombay.html Howard B. Eskin Harleysville (Montgomery County), PA How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Salem CO NJ From: Doug Filler <d.filler AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 19:34:32 -0500 The following were seen or heard today as some friends and I traveled around Southern Salem County. One intrestering note was that at Sunset Road in Mannington Marsh we saw at least 10 adult Little Blue Herons and nurmenous juveinles. We were wondering if this is common in this area? Also saw 50+ Cattle Egrets on Compormise Road. Location: Salem Observation date: 8/28/10 Notes: Sunset road had at least 10 adult Little Blue Herons along with numerous juvs. Number of species: 44 Canada Goose X Mute Swan X Wood Duck X Double-crested Cormorant X Great Blue Heron X Great Egret X Little Blue Heron X Cattle Egret X Green Heron X Turkey Vulture X Osprey X Bald Eagle X Northern Harrier X Red-tailed Hawk X American Kestrel X Peregrine Falcon X Black-bellied Plover X Semipalmated Plover X Killdeer X Least Sandpiper X Baird's Sandpiper X Pectoral Sandpiper X Mourning Dove X Red-bellied Woodpecker X Downy Woodpecker X Northern Flicker X White-eyed Vireo X Red-eyed Vireo X American Crow X Horned Lark X Tree Swallow X Barn Swallow X Carolina Chickadee X Carolina Wren X American Robin X Gray Catbird X Northern Mockingbird X European Starling X Eastern Towhee X Northern Cardinal X Red-winged Blackbird X Brown-headed Cowbird X Baltimore Oriole X American Goldfinch X Doug Filler Levittown PA. Doug Filler Levittown How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Brig. 8/28 + Nighthawks From: Rob Fanning <lapwing4 AT JUNO.COM> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:28:38 GMT Co-led a SHBO/NJAS field trip to Brigantine today with Lloyd Shaw and w/ additional help from associate naturalist Carole Hughes. We had a great turnout... Among a cumulative of nearly 100 species a few of the highlights were: -Buff-breasted Sandpiper--4 birds together -American Avocet (4 continuing birds--close looks) -Whimbrel (only 1 but a great close look) -White-rumped (5+), Western (2), LB Dow -Many Black-bellied Plovers and good #'s of Semi. Plovers -Black Tern--very close look -Least Tern--Juv.--also very close -Caspian Tern--12+ -Clapper Rails (several seen well), Seaside Sparrow -Harriers + Peregrines... Passerines included Great Crested Flycatchers and the highlight for many was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Thanks to all trip participants for a great day... Stopped by the CF on the way home and counted 36+ NIGHTHAWKS in about 25 minutes... Good Birding. -Rob Fanning -Associate Naturalist SHBO -Waldwick, NJ ____________________________________________________________ 1 Tip for Losing Weight Cut down 2 lbs per week by using this 1 weird old tip http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/4c79a9ffeb1e291787est06vuc How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Brig on Saturday: From: Pete Bacinski <petebacinski AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:04:54 +0000 Dear JerseyBirders: Sandra Escala and I had a nice day at Brig today.  We did not hang around the woods today for the nice passerine flight experienced by the Sandy Hook Bird Observatory field Trip there today. Highlight birds for us included: a Buff-breasted Sandpiper from the north dike west pool, four American Avocets, a Stilt Sandpper, 25 White-rumped Sandpipers, 20+ Long-billed Dowitchers, 15 Caspian Terns, an immature Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, and two Pied-billed Grebes. This was a great day to be out birding. Good birding, Pete Bacinski Atlantic Highlands How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Common Nighthawks - Somerset, NJ From: Dan Murray <dmurray03 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:21:36 -0400 Hi Jersey Birders! For anyone keen to add Common Nighthawk to your respective birding list (or just like seeing Nighthawks and who doesn't like Nighthawks?!), Jeanette and I watched at least 6 soar over us last night at dusk at Colonial Park in Somerset New Jersey. We were doing some "recreational" fishing at this great big park and were pleased to have a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron, teams of Chimney Swifts and swallows and the aforementioned Nighthawks join us over the pond where the rent paddle boats. To us, the scene was very reminiscent of an extraordinary incident involving 10-20 Lesser Nighthawks swooping over us in Arizona at the pool at Lowe's Ventana resort as we waited for the stars to come out. Beautiful weather, Nighthawks/birds, and people you care about. Priceless. :) Hope everyone has enjoyed their NJ 2010 summer of birding! Good Birding!! ~Dan Murray Franklin Park - NJ How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Sandy Hook Saturday From: Scott Barnes <myiarchus16 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:10:06 -0700 Jerseybirders,   There was another good passerine flight at the hook today, albeit not as strong as Thursday's passage of migrants.  Below are some highlights from today seen by Patty Dexter, Linda Mack, Susanna Treesh and myself.   Baird's Sandpiper--juvenile at the tidal cut near the end of fisherman's trail.   3rd cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull there as well.   Six species of terns at the tidal cut including Caspian, Royal, and Black Tern.   2 Yellow-bellied Flycatchers along the road to nowhere/raccoon alley.   15 species of warblers including Nashville, Blackburnian, 2 Bay-breasted (all PD, ST), and several Canadas.   A lot of ripe beach plums along the fisherman's trail.   Good Birding,   Scott Barnes Senior Naturalist Sandy Hook Bird Observatory New Jersey Audubon www.njaudubon.org/Centers/SHBO   How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Migrants etc. From: David Patick <patick AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:04:44 +0000 This is my first NJ post as I live in West Virginia and did some birding today, while on vacation visiting my son, who resides here.I visited Sterling Forest State Park and Ringwood State Park checking for any migrants.Some of the birds seen were: Sterling Forest: Black-throated Blue Warbler Cape May Warbler Magnolia Warbler Nashville Warbler Ringwood; Black-throated Green Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Magnolia Warbler American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Red-breasted Nuthatch Yellow-throated Vireo Hairy Woodpecker David Patick, Huntington,WV 25701 How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Birds, Butterflies, Dragonflies and others at Silver Ridge 8-28-10 From: Shawn Wainwright <shawneagleeyes1 AT AOL.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:35:20 -0400 Took a walk around Silver Ridge in Toms River, the birds were'nt that great but the butterflies were amazing. The Boneset is almost in full bloom and is attracting butterflies like a magnet, here's what i found: Birds seen: Wild Turkey - 8 - out in the open Butterflies at Silver Ridge - 19 species for the day! Variegated Fritillary - 1 Little Yellow - 4 Orange Sulphur - 2 Pearl Crescent - 1 Gray Hairstreak - 6 Common Buckeye - 10+ Spicebush Swallowtail - 2 Red-spotted Purple - 2 Sachem - 30+ Peck's Skipper - 6 Least Skipper - 8 Silver-spotted Skipper - 4 Eastern-Tailed Blue - 15+ American Lady - 1 Monarch - 3 Cabbage White - 7 American Copper - 2 Wild Indigo Duskywing - 10+ American Snout - 4 Dragonflies seen: Common Whitetail - 4 Twelve-spotted Skimmer - 1 Slaty Skimmer - 1 Great Blue Skimmer - 1 Autumn Meadowhawk - 1 Wandering Glider - 2 Eastern Forktail - 4 Violet Dancer - 1 Nature notes: Ailanthus Webworm Moth - 2 5 species of wasps found a Cicada perched down low Eastern Fence Lizard - 2 Black Racer - 1 - almost stepped on it chasing a butterfly A great day! Shawn Wainwright Toms River ShawnEagleEyes1 AT aol.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/shawn_wainwright/ How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: NP - migration again - better From: Sandra Keller <sandrakeller AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:59:01 -0500 Hello, Sat. morning. 9:30AM until 11:00AM. Slow, but look at the times! I wish I could have gotten to the dredge spoils earlier. Some new stuff. Some may be from Friday. Most stuff was when I first got here. A nice sized feeding flock right in the north woods as I entered the path for the place. Please note - no flycatchers. No Orioles. No VEERY, MAGNOLIA WARBLER, or WILSON'S WARBLER - all of which were there on Friday - from other birders. 2 WARBLING VIREOS 1 RED-EYED VIREO 1 PHILA. VIREO 2 PARULAS 1 CAPE MAY WARBLER 1 BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER 1 BLACKBURNIAN 6 AMERICAN REDSTARTS 70+ BOBOLINKS - again all heading north. GOLDFINCHES - scattered around the area. I was watching the Swallows for Cliff as a friend had one down at Johnson Sod. No success here though. Just TREE and 5 ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS. 3 immature and/or female RUBY-THROATED HUMMERS around. 2 CASPIAN TERNS - numbers are dropping here! 1 BALD EAGLE flew over. Butterfly notes - Least Skippers everywhere as I was bushwacking. Kept flushing them. Sandra Keller Barrington, NJ sandrakeller AT verizon.net How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Royal Terns at South Amboy From: "OSTRAND, THOMAS J (THOMAS J)" <ostrand AT RESEARCH.ATT.COM> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:09:41 -0400 At least 18 Royals at the Morgan Creek beach yesterday afternoon, an hour before peak low tide. Also about 20 Common Terns, 5 Great Egrets, 1 Snowy, 1 GBH, 4 Ospreys fishing (2 of them quite incompetently, probably juveniles). Three peeps zoomed along the water line going up the river (towards Perth Amboy), much too fast for positive id, but I'm guessing Least SP. Tom Ostrand Metuchen How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Injured GHO at AMico-Please help From: Sharon Liebs <sharonliebs AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 14:29:20 +0000 Good Morning Jersey Birders, My brother just called me from Amico Island and there is a GHO that is injured. He can't fly but can walk.  My brother has a call out to Cedar Run in Medford but needs immediate help.  I used to work at Tri State Bird Rescue and gave him their number as well as instructions on getting the owl safely into a box.  But he does not have anything with him to help in capturing the owl safely. If anyone reads this soon, please call him at 609-744-7026.  He doesn't want to leave the owl there but is there alone so kind of in a pickle. Thanks, Sharon How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Long-tailed Jaeger From: Michael Fritz <king-fisher AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 02:39:15 +0000 I had my first of the season Long-tailed Jaeger on Thursday afternoon at of all places the East Lump. It was actually just inshore of there and only 16 miles offshore. There were surface feeding Skipjack tuna and hundreds of Common Terns as well as about a dozen Black Terns in the same area. That's among the closest to shore I've ever had LT Jaeger. I had great close looks and it was very cooperative, but unfortunately I had no camera. It was a juvenile as most of the birds we see off NJ are, and this bird was an extreme light morph with an all white head and crisp white feather edges. Also seen nearby were 6 Red-necked Phalaropes. I've seen many this year already, but all have been inshore of 30 miles for some reason. Mike Fritz Seaville, NJ king-fisher AT comcast.net How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Spruce Run Glossy Ibis From: Paul Shanahan <paulshanahan AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:34:26 -0400 Good evening Jerseybirders, Spruce Run Reservoir 6:30 - 7:30 pm: 1 Glossy Ibis 18 Lesser Yellowlegs 60+ Least Sandpipers 1 Little Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 1 Snowy Egret GBHs several Nighthawks Barn and Cliff Swallows in good numbers Osprey pesky Merlin How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: HSR: Raccoon Ridge (26 Aug 2010) 55 Raptors From: "Hawkcount.Org Reports" <reports AT HAWKCOUNT.ORG> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:08:52 -0400 Raccoon Ridge Blairstown, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 26, 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 0 0 Osprey 3 6 6 Bald Eagle 27 28 28 Northern Harrier 1 4 4 Sharp-shinned Hawk 11 16 16 Cooper's Hawk 0 0 0 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 1 1 Broad-winged Hawk 0 9 9 Red-tailed Hawk 5 5 5 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 4 7 7 Merlin 3 3 3 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 1 1 Total: 55 80 80 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:30:00 Observation end time: 19:00:00 Total observation time: 9.5 hours Official Counter: Brian Hardiman Observers: Megan Taylor, Patrick Fellion, Patrick Keelen Visitors: Bob Taylor, Megan's father, came all the way from CA. Hikers - 9. Weather: mostly sunny, wind NW 6-12, temp 70-75 deg F. Raptor Observations: Outstanding Bald Eagle count of 27 (Raccoon Ridge daily BE record is 34): ad: 11:10, 3:06, 3:33, 4:05, 4:30, 5:21. im: 10:42, 11:00, 11:03, 11:38, 11:48, 12:55, 12:58(2), 1:12, 1:16, 1:33(2), 3:45, 4:09(2), 4:24(3),5:46, 6:37(2). N.Harrier - adult male at 2:05 "low over ridge for a great close look"...Bird of the Day. Non-raptor Observations: Hummingbirds - 8. Monarchs - 4. Chimney Swifts. Ravens - 3. Nighthawks - 50. Bears - 2 along trail seen by M. Taylor and her father Bob. A huge thank you to P. Keelen, M. Taylor, and P. Fellion for their coverage on this very special "day of the eagle". ======================================================================== Report submitted by Brian Hardiman (hardiman AT nac.net) How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Bald Eagle ? From: "Allyson O'Connor" <MRSOKY AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:07:42 EDT Just got home a little while ago and my hubby says he thinks he saw a mature Bald Eagle soar over our backyard! Could it be?? Ally Basking Ridge How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: CF 8/27--P-Finch + YB Fly From: Rob Fanning <lapwing4 AT JUNO.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:31:12 GMT Nice morning (7 to 8:40) at the Allendale Celery Farm (Bergen Co) w/ highlights being: -Purple Finch--several incl. a perched adult male--my earliest record for the CF by several days -Yellow-bellied Fly (2) -9 species of warblers incl. Wilson's (also 8/26), Prairie, BT Green (3), Magnolia, and Nashville (FW) -RT Hummer (5+), Kingfisher, Gr. Egret (2+), Osprey, etc. Heard: Bobolink observers: Fred Weber and myself Good Birding, -Rob Fanning -Waldwick ____________________________________________________________ Obama Urges Homeowners to Refinance If you owe under $729k you probably qualify for Obama's Refi Program http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/4c782f0ce0e4e8beff7st03vuc How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: South Jersey From: Joe Delesantro <byrder2002 AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:30:41 -0700 Malibu beach Atlantic County 1000+ black skimmers, easily 25% imm. 3 A. Oystercatcher Common and Forster's tern Sanderling Dunlin Nummy Is. 2 Tri-colored Heron Ruddy Turnstone BB Plover Willet G. Yellowlegs Stone Harbor Point 100 Semipal. Plover 3 Caspian Tern Ruddy Turnstone Semi Sandpiper Sanderling 1000+ Tree Swallows Joe Delesantro Mays Landing, NJ byrder2002 AT yahoo.com How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Today in Branchville From: "Cailin O' Connor Fitzpatrick" <coconnor AT BERGEN.EDU> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:20:09 -0400 Gray catbirds were, of course, everywhere. Other birds hanging out included yellow warblers, magnolia warblers, eastern towhees, rose-breasted grosbeaks, carolina wrens, song sparrows, American goldfinches, and the first ever yellow-bellied flycatcher I've seen in the area. Cailin O'Connor Fitzpatrick Kinnelon, NJ How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Upper Passaic County Migrants 8/27 From: Dan Poalillo <dapoal AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:29:02 -0400 I have been eager to see what avifauna would show up at my new place of residence in the Wanaque area, upper Passaic County. Last night (8/26) I had a group of ~10 COMMON NIGHTHAWK fly over the house (strangely headed East). Just after midnight a bird flew over (presumably a migrant) that sounded like Swamp/Lincoln's/Vesper Sparrow as per the "Flight Calls of Migratory Birds - North American Landbirds" CD, no way to ID it to species. Today (8/27) ramped up with 5 TURKEY VULTURES kettling up in front of my hawk watch (2nd floor window) and gliding off to the Southwest. Yesterday I had a first-year BALD EAGLE follow the same route. The trails nearby produced 1 RED-EYED VIREO, 3 BLACK-THROATED GREENS, 2 NORTHERN PARULA, 1 AMERICAN REDSTART, 1 molting male SCARLET TANAGER, and 1 BALTIMORE ORIOLE. Let the games begin... Dan Wanaque How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Re: Brigantine From: Robert Claussen <r.claussen426 AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:04:17 -0400 Harvey, That's very interesting. Tom Vouglas and I had a yellow-rumped warbler at Merrill Creek this morning and we remarked that it seemed awfully early. Bob Claussen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Harvey Tomlinson" To: Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 3:40 PM Subject: [JerseyBirds] Brigantine > Hi Jersey Birders, > As location is to real estate, > season is to birding. > So, when I say the highlight of my trip around Brig this morning wasn't: > 4 continuing Avocets, or > 2 Stunning juvenile Bairds sandpipers, or > hundreds and hundreds of Swallows,terns, assorted shorebirds, and waders > but a Yellow-rumped Warbler. > It's August 26th ! > Anyone know of an earlier date? > I also enjoyed an E. Kingbird feeding newly fledged young. > Quite in contrast w/ the many I saw at collecting at Higbees later in the > day. > I took some (had to be there) photos of the Bairds, but the others are up > on Flickr. > _http://www.flickr.com/photos/shearh2o/_ > (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shearh2o/) > Good Birding, > Harvey Tomlinson > Basking Ridge > > How to report NJ bird sightings: > How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Brigantine From: Harvey Tomlinson <ShearH2Os AT AOL.COM> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:40:44 EDT Hi Jersey Birders, As location is to real estate, season is to birding. So, when I say the highlight of my trip around Brig this morning wasn't: 4 continuing Avocets, or 2 Stunning juvenile Bairds sandpipers, or hundreds and hundreds of Swallows,terns, assorted shorebirds, and waders but a Yellow-rumped Warbler. It's August 26th ! Anyone know of an earlier date? I also enjoyed an E. Kingbird feeding newly fledged young. Quite in contrast w/ the many I saw at collecting at Higbees later in the day. I took some (had to be there) photos of the Bairds, but the others are up on Flickr. _http://www.flickr.com/photos/shearh2o/_ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shearh2o/) Good Birding, Harvey Tomlinson Basking Ridge How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Clay-colored Sparrow: Liberty State Park From: Claus Holzapfel <holzapfe AT ANDROMEDA.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:25:46 -0400 Seems like the end of summer already, migrants are coming in: Yesterday (Thursday Aug. 26) a beautiful Clay-colored Sparrow in the upland portions of the Restoration site behind the Interpretive Center. Other birds there included, 10 Bobolinks, a few Savannah Sparrows, 1 Swamp Sparrow and good number of Song Sparrows. This morning on the very urban Rutgers Newark Campus more signs of fall migration: 2 Northern Waterthrushes, 3 C. Yellowthroats, 1 Ovenbird, 1 E. Wood Pewee, and a very early WT Sparrow. Cheers Claus Holzapfel ************************************************* "They [scientists] are, despite their efforts at dignity, rather like young animals engaged in savage play." Levis Thomas, 1973, The Lives of a Cell Oh, oh - nobody told me about that dignity thing! pers. comm. ************************************************* Dr. Claus Holzapfel Rutgers University Dept. of Biological Sciences Boyden Hall 408 (lab 435) 195 University Ave Newark, NJ 07102-1811 USA Tel 973 353 5385 Fax 973 353 5518 holzapfe AT andromeda.rutgers.edu http://newarkbioweb.rutgers.edu/Holzapfel%20Lab/ *************************************************************** Jersey Roots, Global Reach Please consider the environment before printing this email How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: NP spoils - migration - light From: Sandra Keller <sandrakeller AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:07:57 -0500 Hello, Friday morning for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Well... new birds around the National Park dredge spoils in Gloucester County, NJ. Just not in any great numbers! I am a bit surprised over that. Sometimes after a spell of south winds and then NW, the birds all migrated down to the coast, but that wouldn't apply for this past week. I think. Anyway, some numbers: 1 YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER - my favorite bird 1 LEAST FLYCATCHER - my second favorite bird - a nice comparison. 3 GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHERS 2 WARBLING VIREOS - one was even singing! 1 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER 1 BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER 1 PRAIRIE WARBLER 1 BLACK and WHITE WARBLER 3 REDSTARTS 2 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS 3 BALTIMORE ORIOLES 30 or so GOLDFINCHES 30 or so BOBOLINKS overhead - most seemed to be heading north. Finding a place to feed I guess. An interesting morning. Butterfly notes - up to 11 Red-spotted Purples around the place. Sandra Keller Barrington, NJ sandrakeller AT verizon.net How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Scherman-Hoffman 8/26/10 From: "bejoba AT optonline.net" <bejoba@OPTONLINE.NET> Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:58:17 +0000 Yesterday at Scherman-Hoffman I had a nice fallout of warblers and other migrants! 20+ Magnolia Warblers 15 Chestnut-sided Warblers 2 Blackburnian Warblers 1 Hooded Warbler 1 Blue-winged Warbler 10 Black-and-white Warblers 2 Common Yellowthroats 1 Philadelphia Vireo 4 White-eyed Vireos 10 Red-eyed Vireos 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Pileated Woodpecker Good birding, Ben Barkley Basking Ridge, NJ bejoba AT optonline.net ---------- Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Re: Wildlife and nature photo contest From: Phil Jeffrey <phil.jeffrey AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:09:41 -0400 It's worth bearing in mind that the legalities link appears to constitute a "rights grab" of photo ownership, whether intended or not: Namely: "All entries will become the property of WildNewJersey.tv and may be used in future publications, promotional materials or displays. Your entry to the contest constitutes your agreement to allow your photographs, name, city and state of residence to be published on WildNewJersey.tv and used for promotional material including, but not limited to, exhibitions, media publications, a photo contest calendar, a compilation book or electronic collection of photographs, online photo features and contests, and web pages. " On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 4:58 PM, Jill Weislo wrote: > WildNewJersey.tv, as part of the non-profit Edison Wetlands Association, > is holding a photo contest for birders and nature photographers. Prizes How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Wildlife and nature photo contest From: Jill Weislo <jill AT EDISONWETLANDS.ORG> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:58:27 -0700 WildNewJersey.tv, as part of the non-profit Edison Wetlands Association, is holding a photo contest for birders and nature photographers. Prizes and other information are available at: http://wildnewjersey.tv/2010/08/10/wnj-photo-contest-take-a-walk-on-the-wild-side-and-win.aspx. Good Birding! -Jillian Weislo How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Black-Throated Blue Warbler at Higbee Beach, Cape May County From: Eric Hughes <emanh AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:42:47 -0400 Today at around 8:00 A.M, we went to Higbee Beach and saw 25 species of birds. Included in that list was a Black-Throated Blue Warbler that was seen in the shrubs directly off of the parking lot. Eric Hughes Chester County, Pennsylvania How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Pine Warblers - flocking From: Sandra Keller <sandrakeller AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:35:09 -0500 Hello, 16 PINE WARBLERS in a tight feeding flock at Lebanon State Forest. This afternoon - 8-26-10. A friend and I were out enjoying some botany. I pished in a couple PINES. A lot kept coming in! This really isn't a staging area like I am searching for this summer. Like Tree Swallows, etc. These PINES might even spend the winter. I am seeing more and more in New Jersey in the winter. Of course they could leave also on some up and coming cold front! 3 adult males were in the flock. Good birding all. Sandra Keller Barrington, NJ sandrakeller AT verizon.net How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: seeking Saltmarsh Sharptail Sp in S NJ? From: Gerald Kruth <GKruth AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:34:23 EDT We will be visiting S NJ for a week, Aug 27- through Sept 4. We are again seeking that ever-elusive Saltmarsh Sharptail, which always seems to elude us. If anyone has any suggestions as to where they may be hanging out at this time of year we would be most appreciative to hear from you. Thanks very kindly for any help. Jerry Kruth Pittsburgh How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: seeking Connecticut Warbler in S NJ From: Gerald Kruth <GKruth AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:31:00 EDT We will be visiting S NJ for a week, Aug 27- through Sept 4. We know it is a little early in migration, but are seeking that ever-elusive skulker Connecticut Warbler. We have researched that it is sometimes known to pass through, and wondered if this is too early, or if it might be possible to find one? Would anyone have any suggestions where it might be found in the first week of September? Thanks very kindly for any help. Jerry Kruth Pittsburgh How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Re: BCNH From: Sharon Petzinger <spetzinger.ensp AT EMBARQMAIL.COM> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:01:26 -0400 Yes, black-crowned night-herons are listed as threatened in NJ for breeding populations and special concern for non-breeding populations. We are especially interested in rookeries and roosts. You can find a list of NJ's endangered and threatened species at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/tandespp.htm and list of special concern species at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/spclspp.htm We would like anyone who observes an endangered, threatened or special concern species in NJ to submit information to us. Please visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/ensp/rprtform.htm to get a sighting report form and information on how to submit a sighting to NJ Fish and Wildlife's Endangered and Nongame Species Program. Sharon Petzinger Senior Zoologist NJ Fish and Wildlife Endangered and Nongame Species Program 1 Van Syckels Rd Clinton, NJ 08809 908-638-5102 spetzinger.ensp AT embarqmail.com sharon.petzinger AT dep.state.nj.us ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joan and Bob" To: Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 8:43 AM Subject: [JerseyBirds] BCNH 14 black-crowned night herons, adults and juveniles, sitting across the pond this morning, a record for this year. One year it was 17. Are they still considered a threatened species? Joan Fair Haven How to report NJ bird sightings: How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Warren Green Acres (Glenhurst Meadows) From: Harvey Tomlinson <ShearH2Os AT AOL.COM> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:12:43 EDT Jersey Birders, An OUTSTANDING day at Warren Green Acres. Not numbers so much but diversity, and goodies were abundant. In no particular order: An almost Woodpecker Slam, minus YBSS. At least 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers along w/ a Pileated were calling to beat the band. One of the RHWO was an adult. Never saw the other(s) And calling to beat another band was an Olive-sided Fly. Shame I didn't have a six-pack w/ me. 4 Vireos including Yellow-throated and a fine, fine Philly. Warblers: Female Golden-winged (Mike H and I had a female last year about the same time), CHAT, Wilson's, and about 7-8 adult male Redstarts...for highlights. Empids, and hummers were numerous. Tanager, Grosbeak, and both Orioles. Purple Finch, and a Red-breasted Nuthatch. Whew. Off to work w/ smile on my face Good Birding, Harvey Tomlinson Basking Ridge How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: National Park - good migrants From: Sandra Keller <sandrakeller AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:57:18 -0500 Hello, Thursday morning - 8-26-10. A very good morning at the National Park dredge spoils in Gloucester County, NJ this morning. New birds. And good numbers for August. Birded for 1 1/2 hours. Nothing was flying in - everything was already on the ground here. Winds were light NW if that. Felt dead calm half the time. Nice and sunny. 1 BLUE-WINGED WARBLER 1 PARULA 1 MAGNOLIA 1 BLACK-THROATED BLUE 2 BLACKBURNIANS 1 BLACKPOLL - wow. Early for me. 2 BLACK and WHITE WARBLERS 3 REDSTARTS 1 WORM-EATING WARBLER 2 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS 3 INDIGO BUNTINGS 4 BALTIMORE ORIOLES No Bobolinks overhead like the other day. Strangely, I haven't had any Gnatcatchers. I am told they have been migrating all over south Jersey. Very strange. Had one nice feeding flock and then just birds scattered. Nothing was moving much. They seemed settled in. And yet it just died around 8:50AM. Interesting...... Butterfly notes - 10 species there in the morning. Very cool. Including a Painted Lady which have been scarce this year for me. Good birding all. Let's see what Friday morning brings! Sandra Keller Barrington, NJ sandrakeller AT verizon.net How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: BCNH From: Joan and Bob <aufderhar AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:43:01 +0000 14 black-crowned night herons, adults and juveniles,  sitting across the pond this morning, a record for this year. One year it was 17. Are they still considered a threatened species? Joan Fair Haven How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Meadowlands Avocet Continues at DeKorte From: Jim Wright <Jim.Wright AT NJMEADOWLANDS.GOV> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:31:48 -0400 We saw the American Avocet at 4:45 p.m. today (Wednesday), chilling with Mallards at the north end of the Shorebird Pool at DeKorte, way in the back. Almost missed it, but the 12x binoculars helped. Distant pic is on meadowblog.net. Also had Belted Kingfisher, a few Ospreys and (by the side of the Environment Center) two clear-winged moths on the butterfly bush. Good birding, Jim W. ________________________________ Notice: This e-mail message and any attachment to this e-mail message may contain information that may be legally privileged and confidential from the State of New Jersey, New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not review, transmit, convert to hard copy, copy, use, or disseminate this e-mail or any attachment to it. If you have received this e-mail in error, Please immediately notify us by return e-mail or by telephone at 201-460-1700 and delete the message. Please note that if this e-mail message contains a forwarded message or is a reply to a prior message, some or all of the contents of the message or any attachment may not have been produced by the State of New Jersey, New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. This notice is automatically appended to each e-mail message leaving the State of New Jersey, New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Vesper Sparrow @ Island Beach State Park From: Skyler Streich <streich28 AT GMAIL.COM> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:02:18 -0400 At the A-21 parking lot at IBSP there was a VESPER SPARROW foraging on the roadside. I followed him for a while until eventually he flew out of sight further north up the road. At the inlet there were 2 Black Terns, but the Common Eiders that have been there for about a month now were no where to be found. Good birding! -Skyler Streich Barnegat Bay Birder-in-Resident How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Avocets continue at Brig, etc. From: Christopher Vogel <glaucidium AT YAHOO.COM> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:36 -0700 Brigantine was very birdy today, a friend and I managed to find, among others & in no particular order: 1 Buff-breasted Sandpiper, just west of the cross-dike at "the dog-leg" on the north side. 3 A. Avocets, seen in both pools, & synchronously feeding in Avocet fashion for a bit in the north-west corner of the west pool 3-4 dozen Long-billed Dowitchers 30 + White-rumped Sandpipers 15 Western Willets just 1 Whimbrel 1 juv. Black Tern 5-6 Gull-billed Terns-including one still begging and rather stationary young fledgling being fed and a couple of independent older juveniles. The last time I was there in late July, there were over 40 Gullibles. 3 Royal Terns, including a begging juv. 8 Caspian Terns 5 Common Terns-including 2 juv.s 250 or so Forster's Terns 1 Pied-billed Grebe 120 Black Skimmers 30 A. Oystercatchers a pair of Blue Grosbeaks with a fully-grown fledgling There were also seasonally good numbers of Blue and Green-winged Teals, and a few small flocks of N. Shoveler. Stilt Sandpipers, & Peep were well represented and the first good flocks of Black-bellied Plovers I've seen this year were in the short grass of the West Pool. An adult Bald Eagle was hanging around most of the day as well. And in Cape May, what looked very much like one and the same Long-billed Dowitcher was at the Higbee's dike early in the morning and the Meadows before sunset. 90 Royal Terns and 60 Black Skimmers were at Second Avenue, Teal and Shoveler likewise increase daily in the Meadows, and the first River Otter I've seen in nearly 2 months of drought was as curious about me as I was of it in the once again wet South Cape May Meadows. Cheers CJV Cape May, NJ How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Bergen Co - DeKorte Avocet continues, GW Teal and Shovelers arrive - 8/24/10 From: Edna & Ray Duffy <marshwren AT COMCAST.NET> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:18:28 +0000 I visited DeKorte this evening just before 5pm.  Fall arrivals included Green-winged teals and a Northern Shoveler.  The American Avocet was still in the Kingsland/Shorebird Impoundment but in a different location than last reported, a little more north.  It was still in the east side of the Marsh Discovery trail but viewable along the phragmite island viewable from the second channel crossing bridge.  Some stilt sandpipers were present as well. Ray Duffy Secaucus, NJ How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: FYI:Purple Martins Swarm South Jersey From: "Joe P." <jpylka AT earthlink.net> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:28:50 -0400 http://whyy.org/cms/news/health-science/2010/08/24/purple-martins-swarm-south-jersey/43856 was the topic of a news segment on WHYY-FM this morning. Webpage above has text, audio, and some photos... Joe P. How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Migration today at National Park From: Sandra Keller <sandrakeller AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:29:25 -0500 Hello, Tues. AM - 8-24-10. Mostly cloudy. Mostly NE winds, but they were trying to shift around. An occassional gust from the N and NW was felt. The migration didn't hit the National Park dredge spoils this morning. Or if these were new birds in, a very light flight in the area. Gloucester County, NJ. 2 AMERICAN REDSTARTS 1 YELLOW WARBLER 1 BLACK and WHITE WARBLER 1 COMMON YELLOWTHROAT 1 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER 50 to 60 BOBOLINKS heading N and NE overhead though. Very nice. Singly and in small flocks during the 1 1/2 hours I was there this early AM. Surprisingly I had some butterflies at 9:00AM - seemed to cold. Red-spotted Purples again. Tiger Swallowtails, etc. Good birding all. Sandra Keller Barrington, NJ sandrakeller AT verizon.net How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Re: OT:David A. La Puma's migration radar From: David La Puma <david AT woodcreeper.com> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 22:23:34 -0400 Wow- thanks Yong! On that note, the rest of you PLEASE don't weigh in on Yong's statement ;) Funny you should mention it, though, because I started posting the radar again this morning. I have been a little lax, given my new work schedule (read: actual job) and pending Thing#2 due in late September (but someone keeps reminding me that it's + or - two weeks, although she's emphasizing the minus), but for now I'll be posting the radar as frequently as possible. You can read the latest post at www.woodcreeper.com, which also makes reference to some new changes. On an even cooler note, this week we're launching a fall study of nocturnal and diurnal migration over Cape Island using a combination of radar, acoustic monitors (microphones) and observers. The idea to blanket Cape May with microphones was the brainchild of our very own Sam Galick, and the major legwork of getting the microphones out collecting data is being carried out by him, with support from Mike Lanzone from Powdermill Avian Research Center in PA, and Andrew Farnsworth at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. David Mizrahi (my boss), Bob Fogg, and I just set up our modified marine radar across the Cape May Canal from Higbee's beach (on the Cape May/ Lewes Ferry property) so we can correlate migration density and spatial distribution (altitude, behavior, etc.) with flight call frequency and species diversity. This will allow us to look at both nocturnal migration, and the diurnal "morning flight" phenomenon across a large swath of Cape Island. Needless to say, we're really excited about it. Thanks to several generous NJ Birders, we have a number of donated computers we can use to collect the acoustic recordings. Speaking of nocturnal migration, did you look at the radar tonight??? *http://tinyurl.com/2fsclow While the NE and Mid-Atlantic are not the stars of tonight's show (the southeast IS), there are still a good number of birds migrating over our region. I'll post the radar in full tomorrow morning. Until then, anyone out there listening tonight? Good Birding David * ________________________ David A. La Puma Postdoctoral Associate New Jersey Audubon Society 600 Route 47 North Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 Office: 609.861.1608 x33 Fax: 609.861.1651 Websites: http://www.woodcreeper.com http://badbirdz2.wordpress.com Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/woodcreeper On Mon, Aug 23, 2010 at 6:55 PM, Yong Kong wrote: > Not sure how other NJ Birds' birders feel, but I miss David's fall > migration forecast. I do know the website but it is always a nice reminder > thru NJ Birds. > > Yong Kong > Berlin, NJ > yklitespeed AT comcast.net > How to report NJ bird sightings: > How to report NJ bird sightings: Subject: Stone Harbor Point area - shorebirds From: Sandra Keller <sandrakeller AT VERIZON.NET> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:03:18 -0500 Hello, Monday - all day - 8-23-10. Most of my time was spent down at Cape May Point. Great day, nothing out of the ordinary to report. I went and chased the 4!!! BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS that Tom J. found at the Meadows this morning. Good August bird! The Meadows itself is flooded. No place for shorebirds. Lots flying overhead! The KING EIDER was roosting on the Concrete Ship. I don't believe it could have been seen from Sunset Beach. You needed to view from the Alexandria Ave. jetty area. The tern show at the Concrete Ship area was the best. Flying back and forth. I had no success with the Sandwich. But to be expected as I was late down there and went for the Whistling ducks first. The beaches were very crowded by the time I was birding from the jetties.... Stone Harbor Point - Nummy's Island - 2 to 3PM or something like that. For tidal purposes. A list - just from here: BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS OYSTERCATCHERS GREATER YELLOWLEGS "western" WILLETS - nice studies. WHIMBRELS RUDDY TURNSTONES RED KNOTS - my highlight here - 200 or so in various plumage stages. They were feeding on that exposed sand at the north end of the place. West side. SANDERLINGS SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS WESTERN SANDPIPERS 2 STILT SANDPIPERS - again, that exposed sandbar. SHORT-BILLED DOWS And another 4 species from Cape May Point. A good shorebird day. Butterfly notes - wow. Enjoy! They migrate also and are all over the Point. Cape May Point. Common Buckeye being my most numerous. Good birding all. Sandra Keller Barrington, NJ sandrakeller AT verizon.net How to report NJ bird sightings: